Square Eyes

Television Reviews

Movie of the week, Rain, SBS, Weds, 10pm:

This brooding, melancholy coming of age drama from New Zealand is fraught with the confusion of a teenage girl's dawning sexuality. Janey (Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki) is on a family holiday in the 70s. Her parents' marriage is disintegrating amongst their booze-fuelled partying and while she detests their behaviour, it's a freedom she yearns for and in trying to get it, she pays a high price. The weather sets the tone, along with Neil Finn's brilliant score. It's dark, but deeply satisfying.

Bend it like Beckham. Prime, Fri, 8.30pm:

This light-hearted, cross-cultural, coming-of-age comedy follows the travails of Jess, a teenage Punjabi-English girl, who dreams of being a soccer star like her hero Becks, to the consternation of her strict Sikh parents. There is plenty of room for misunderstandings and in trying to straddle two worlds Jess is in danger of falling down the gap. Wrapped in an ever-popular underdogs triumph sporting yarn, with a splash of romance to make teen girl hearts flutter, it's hard to resist.

Dennis the Menace, NBN, Sat, 7.30pm:

Best suited to viewers whose age has yet to reach double figures, this brainless translation of the '50s comic strip borrows heavily from Home Alone. Joan Plowright and Walter Matthau tag along for the lightweight ride as the five-year-old prankster makes kids giggle.

Fingersmith, ABC, Sun, 8.30pm:

Another spot of costume intrigue, set in 19th century London. Richard "Gentleman" Rivers (Rupert Evans) is a conman and wealthy young heiress Lilly (Elaine Cassidy) is his target. He enlists an orphan girl with a talent for pick-pocketing (Sally Hawkins) to help, but she is struck with pangs of conscience. It's another rollicking two-part confection.

Jaws, Prime, Sun, 9pm:

Gosh, is it really 30 years since a 27-year-old Steven Spielberg scared the bejesus out of audiences and Roy Sheider with a giant mechanical munching shark? It remains a classic horror film - almost naïve, since the shark doesn't have a chainsaw and wear a hocky mask. And in a ripoff of the SBS hit, Prime thoughtfully screens a 'mythbusters' on sharks beforehand.

Sydney at War: the untold story, SBS, Tues, 7.30pm:

In May 1942, three Japanese midget subs attacked Sydney, killing 21 Australians. This interesting doco features interviews with some of the survivors, both Japanese and Aussie, and reveals little known details, like the funeral the Australian military held for their Japanese attackers.

Heat in the kitchen, SBS, Weds, 7.30pm:

This five part series follows three Sydney restaurants as they come under the scrutiny of critics from The Good Food Guide, including Echo editor Simon Thomsen. He claims to be working every time he disappears, but we're not sure scoffing posh nosh causes as much of a sweat as it does for the chefs under pressure in this fascinating behind-the-scenes doco, which culminates in the heart-racing awards night.